The Alexander Technique is a method that teaches improved posture and movement, which helps to reduce and prevent problems caused by unhelpful habits. It's a practice that involves becoming more aware of your body and thinking, how to improve poor posture, and move more efficiently. Many celebrities have used the Alexander Technique to improve their poise in public, including Margo Robbie, Victoria Beckham, Madonna, Daniel Radcliffe, Keanu Reeves, Leonardo Di Caprio and Oprah Winfrey, to name a few. Here's how you can embark on a journey to better posture in just six weeks.
Week 1: Awareness
Begin by observing your current posture habits. Notice how you sit, stand, and move throughout your day. Are you slouching at your desk? Are your shoulders tense and raised? This week is about building awareness without trying to correct anything just yet. A phrase I wholeheartedly stole from a colleague is the observation is the win. This is also a time to learn to be non-judgmental with your observations. It's an attitude that will carry you through your progress.
Week 2: Understand the Principles
Learn about the key principles of the Alexander Technique, such as the importance of the relationship between the head, neck, and spine, and how becoming mindful of your daily activities is necessary to make changes. There's also as much importance in understanding the psychology of behaviour as there is in recognising how your body is best supported and aided by gravity. You will learn that it's less about what you need to do, but what you need to prevent. Prevent the "wrong" and the "right" will do itself. Ideologically you can improve your posture in just 6 seconds, or the speed of thought, but the psychology of habit will work against you in the early stages. Give yourself time.
Week 3: Learn to Let Go
Start to 'unlearn' the bad habits. This requires applying the understanding of some simple psychology to say no to your habitual reactions and patterns of behaviour. It's also helpful to develop a daily practice of Constructive Rest and breathing procedures to undo current tension habits and keep you on top of your game. It's about doing less to achieve more. It's about finding your own personal availability, not an ideological position. It's about your attitude, about poise.
Week 4: Apply the Technique
Begin to apply the Alexander Technique to simple activities like sitting down and standing up. Focus on releasing tension in your neck and releasing your spine into length. Although it's a mundane functional movement, aim to move with the same clarity of mind and presence as you might expect in a Yoga or Tai Chi class.
Week 5: Refinement
Continue practicing Constructive Rest and breathing procedures for 20 minutes a day. You should start to notice a natural improvement in your posture, not from stiffening but from ease and inner expansion.
Week 6: Integration
By now, you should have a good understanding of the main principles and start applying them to everyday life. Find a common activity or hobby that you can apply the Alexander Technique principles to. This will help you strengthen your new habits whilst improving the performance of that activity. This could be anything from running, gardening or doing yoga. The aim is to benefit from the Technique without the need for frequent ongoing lessons, although periodic refinement isn't unusual given the nature of what life throws at us.
In practice, when taking in-person private Alexander Technique lessons the above points will be less discrete/modular. All aspects will overlap with each lesson. When taking online lessons the format will be more structured like this.
Remember, improving posture is not just about looking better; it's about functioning better. The Alexander Technique offers a subtle yet effective way of improving your posture and alleviating back pain. It's about engaging your internal support system, releasing, and directing your own internal dynamic energy.
As you continue to practice, you may find that the benefits extend beyond just physical health, potentially improving concentration, endurance, and even how you handle stress. Embrace the journey towards a more poised and balanced self with the Alexander Technique.
Contact me now for your personalised 6 week Alexander Technique course.
07808612510
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